Macbeth- A Tragic Heo?

One good quality of Macbeth is his bravery. We learn of his physical prowess and bravery on the battlefield - "brave Macbeth", "valour's minion", "valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!” he is an eagle, a lion, and “Bellona's bridegroom". These are the outward signs as seen by the Captain, Duncan and Ross, Act I, Sc.ii. Unfortunately, Macbeth is prone to temptation. In the following scene we observe his interest in the Witches' predictions. He is tempted - "Your children shall be K

* Despair? - When he announces, "I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er" (Act III, Sc.iv) he is making a deliberate decision to commit himself to evil. He has full knowledge of what he is doing. Has he fallen into despair because he considers that his people will not forgive him? Or has he become so hardened that he can now think only of himself? Is this the turning point? When he visits the Witches again he decides to murder all Macduff's relatives. Is this a sign of his brutality or is it a sense of self - preservation? In Act IV, Sc.iii, Malcolm describes Macbeth as 'treacherous' and Macduff refers to him as a tyrant. Malcolm further calls him "...bloody, Luxurious (i.e. lustful), avaricious, false, deceitful, Sudden, malicious, smacking of every sin that has a name." Examine these charges. How many do you consider apply to Macbeth? Is Malcolm an unprejudiced witness? Is he judging Macbeth by his actions only, unaware of the circumstances that have joined together to produce Macbeth's evil deed? Examine also the "King becoming graces" set out by Malcolm. Is there any evidence in the play to suggest that, in other circumstances, Macbeth might have been a good King? In Act V, Sc.ii, Caithness, speaking of Macbeth, says "Some say he's mad: others, that lesser hate him, Do call it valiant fury." Is he mad? Note how he treats his Servant in Act V, Sc.iii, and the Messenger in Act V, Sc. v. Does 'valiant fury' better describe his attitude? Is he raging against his Fate? In Act V, Sc. iii when he says "And that which should accompany old age, As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honours, breath Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not." Is he showing himself overcome by self-pity, or is he facing up to reality?

* Public Opinion - Is he concerned only with what the world thinks of him when he tells Lady Macbeth the they will "proceed no further in this business" because he is well thought of by others and does not wish to lose their good opinion? Is this vanity or fear? What do you think persuades him to agree to the deed? Is he afraid that Lady Macbeth will consider that he lacks manliness? Does he value her opinion of him so highly that he dare not lose it? Is this a moral weakness - an understandable one? Or is he afraid of the consequence of failure? Does his own addition to the murder plan - that the chamberlains be marked with blood and so be blamed for the murder - show that he is actively involved in the murder? His final words "I am settled, and bent up each corporal agent to thi

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